In a criminal case, the state, through a prosecutor, initiates the suit, while in a civil case the victim brings the suit. Persons convicted of a crime may be incarcerated, fined, or both. Criminal defense attorneys represent clients who have been accused of committing a crime, and defend their rights at each stage of a misdemeanor or felony case -- from an arrest to an appeal after conviction. Criminal defense attorneys may be hired privately or provided by the government (called "public defenders").
Villanueva is a small unincorporated community along the Pecos River in San Miguel County, New Mexico, United States. It is located along New Mexico State Highway 3. Just southeast is Villanueva State Park, in a colorful canyon cut by the Pecos River. Villanueva, an old Spanish colonial village, was originally called La Cuesta (Spanish, hill or slope) because the village sits on top of a steeply sloping hill or cuesta in the Pecos Valley. It was renamed in 1890, for a prominent local family. Villanueva has the ZIP code 87583. The 87583 ZIP Code Tabulation Area had a population of 267 at the 2000 census.